Preparation

There is something so powerful about standing in faith, knowing that God's got a blessing with my name on it.  What's even more powerful is knowing that God has been and is preparing me for my blessing. Everything that I have been through and will go through in life has a purpose.  There are some prayers that were not answered in the way I would have liked but it was all part of my preparation process. God was shaping me, molding me, refining me so that I am more like Him with a distinct purpose of Him being glorified.  No one could go through it for me.  Each and every incident, good and bad, has made me who I am.  I have come to the conclusion that there are some blessings I would have mishandled if God had given them to me too soon.  So I am glad that the God I serve knows what is best for me. 

It is so easy to get discouraged when it seems that everything is going wrong all around you.  You step out in one direction thinking that you are on your way to finally fulfilling your destiny only to find yourself three-quarters of the way there and hit a roadblock.  Have you ever been there?  To be so close to your dream only to have it taken away at the hands of man.  Or was it?  As a Christian the word FAITH has been ingrained in your brain and hopefully in your heart.  But it is only during these moments that your faith is tested and you find out what you are really made of.  Another important part of faith is learning is to control your thought process.  It is very important that you monitor what you take in.  You must learn to put a quick halt to the negative thoughts that suddenly appear in your mind.  Your Righteous Mind...in the words of Donald Lawrence.  There is so much truth in the Word when it instructs the Saint to think on those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report (Phil. 4:8)  Satan wants nothing more than to control your mind.  To make us think that God has somehow forgotten about us.  Nothing could be farther from the truth. Do you know how much God thinks about you?  So much so that even before you were conceived, He began preparations for you with blessings that had your name on it.  That is why you don't have to worry about what man can do to you.  God is still on the throne, which means He controls all things. 

That's good news y'all.  And all He requires of you is obedience and faith.  He doesn't even require a supersize portion of faith.  All you need is faith the size of a mustard seed.  And let me leave you with one other tidbit of information.  I can't take credit for it.  Pastor Douglas said it and I just had to share.  'How you take care of the blessings you already have determines the magnitude of your future blessings'.  Think about that for a minute.  How much time do you spend wishing you had a better house, a bigger car, a better job, a different spouse, and on and on and on?  Not only that ask yourself if you have been a good steward of the blessings God has given you?  Maybe you think that it should finally be your turn.  You are tired of seeing those around you being blessed.  I challenge you to have a change of heart.  Instead of complaining start thanking God that He cares enough about you to prepare you first for the blessings He has in store for you and then also ask Him too help you to be a better steward of the blessings He has already given you.


Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

I just want to say thank you for each and every blessing You have bestowed upon my life.  For my family, my job, my house, my church.  Lord please forgive me because I haven't always seemed grateful.  But Lord I am grateful.  I know that it didn't have to be so.  I know that I could spend the rest of my life thanking You for everything You have done.  That's why I praise You.  You've been just that good to me.  Help me never to forget that without You I am nothing and that everything I have comes from You.  In Jesus' Wonderful Name I pray Amen.